CHAPTER 172 — Shockwaves
Marineford
The sounds of battle were gone, but the island was far from peaceful. Smoke still rose from broken buildings. The sea around the bay carried pieces of debris, bits of ruined ships drifting slowly with the waves. Marines moved through the streets in small groups, some carrying the wounded, others clearing rubble, others standing still with empty expressions, as if they had forgotten what they were supposed to do next.
Inside the headquarters building, Sengoku stood alone in his office.
The room smelled faintly of ink and old paper. His desk was covered with reports, too many of them. Lists of casualties. Names crossed out. Ships marked as lost. Entire units reduced to numbers. Sengoku stared at them without really seeing the words anymore.
The war was over.
Ace had lived.
Whitebeard had lived.
The Marines had failed.
Sengoku let out a long breath and leaned both hands against the desk. His shoulders felt heavier than they ever had before. The weight of the sea itself seemed to press down on him.
They had done everything they could. He knew that. Still, knowing it did not make the result easier to accept.
The world would not forget this.
The Marines had lost face. The balance that had been held for years had cracked, and everyone would feel it soon. Pirates would grow bolder. Kings would hesitate. The seas would not stay quiet.
Sengoku closed his eyes for a moment.
After this… I'll retire.
The thought came calmly, without anger or regret. Just certainty. He had given everything he had. It was time to step aside.
His thoughts drifted to Kuzan. He would recommend him to the Five Elders. Kuzan had the calm needed for the role, the restraint. Akainu wanted the position too, Sengoku knew that well. And when the time came, those two would surely clashed.
Sengoku straightened slowly.
That's for later.
A sudden knock shattered the quiet.
It was loud. Urgent. Wrong.
Sengoku snapped out of his thoughts and turned sharply toward the door.
"Enter!" he barked. "What's the hurry?!"
The door flew open.
A Marine officer rushed inside, breathing hard. Sweat ran down his forehead, soaking into his cap. In one hand, he held a report. In the other, a Den Den Mushi, its eyes wide and shaking slightly.
"Fleet Admiral," the man said quickly, voice strained, "news from Vice Admiral Gion."
Sengoku froze.
His heart sank instantly.
Gion.
She had been assigned to guard a Celestial Dragon. Any report from her, especially now, meant something had gone terribly wrong.
Sengoku moved fast. He stood up from his chair and took the Den Den Mushi from the officer's hands.
"Leave us," Sengoku ordered.
The Marine saluted quickly and hurried out, closing the door behind him.
The room was silent again.
Sengoku lifted the Den Den Mushi.
"Speak," he said.
The voice that came through was steady, but serious.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Sengoku's jaw tightened.
Gion always called him Sengoku-san.
Always.
This time, she hadn't.
"I'm listening," he said, his tone low and focused.
There was a short pause on the other end. Then Gion spoke.
"The Celestial Dragon was taken," she said. "We lost many Marines. All CP0 agents assigned to him were killed."
For a moment, Sengoku couldn't breathe.
He felt his throat tighten, his chest seize. He nearly choked on his own saliva.
"The Celestial Dragon was taken?" he repeated, disbelief sharp in his voice. "Say that again."
"Yes," Gion replied without hesitation. "Saint Marcus was taken. By a man wearing golden armor."
Sengoku's hand clenched so hard around the Den Den Mushi that it squeaked.
"T-that bastard!" he roared. "He said he wouldn't interfere!"
There were very few people in this world who wore golden armor.
And only one of them had appeared today.
Gaius.
Sengoku closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe.
"Gion," he said firmly, "return to Marineford immediately. I'll take over from here."
There was a slight hesitation on the other end.
"Understood," Gion said.
Sengoku continued, his voice softer now.
"You did the right thing."
He ended the call.
For a moment, he stood there, staring at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.
If it had been any other Marine, anyone else, they would be offered up without hesitation to calm the Celestial Dragons' anger.
But Gion was different.
Tsuru was like a sister to him. Gion was family.
He would not sacrifice her.
Far away, in a luxurious Office, the Five Elders received the same news.
The reaction was immediate.
Rage filled the room.
They contacted Sengoku at once.
The Den Den Mushi rang sharply on Sengoku's desk. He answered immediately, already anticipating what was coming.
Voices crackled through the Den Den Mushi, sharp, cold, demanding.
"How did this happen?"
"Why was the Celestial Dragon taken?"
"And why," one of them pressed, "is Vice Admiral Gion unharmed? Is she a traitor?"
Sengoku bowed his head slightly, posture respectful even through the Den Den Mushi.
"I assure you," he said calmly, "Vice Admiral Gion is not a traitor."
He explained carefully, choosing his words with precision.
"The Celestial Dragon was already in the golden-armored man's hands. Any reckless action would have risked his life. Gion could not guarantee a successful rescue."
The room fell silent.
The Five Elders remembered Marineford. They remembered watching the battle unfold. They remembered the man in golden armor standing against Admiral Kizaru without faltering, even forcing the admiral back, Kizaru only able to match him through sheer speed.
They understood.
Still, mercy was not their nature.
"Find him," one of them ordered. "Recover the Celestial Dragon. No matter the cost."
The call ended.
Sengoku exhaled slowly, tension easing for only a moment. He had expected nothing less.
He immediately began issuing orders. Intelligence units were activated. Scouts were dispatched. Every scrap of information about Gaius and his group was gathered, compiled, and verified.
The hunt had begun.
High above the sea, Gaius and his group traveled inside their flying vehicle.
The interior was quiet.
In the corner of the cabin, the Celestial Dragon lay unconscious, bound tightly with restraints that left no room to move. His fine clothes were torn, once-pristine fabric now wrinkled and stained with dust and dried blood. The elaborate layers that once marked him as untouchable now only made him look smaller. Fragile. Helpless in a way he had likely never experienced before.
Tony sat near the controls, one arm resting against the console as his eyes scanned the displays. Numbers scrolled past. Readings updated in clean, steady patterns. Among them, a single signal blinked on the screen at regular intervals.
"We're close," he said.
The tracker was there because Tony had sent Diana one through the parcel system, letting them trace her location.
Naruto leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. Saeko stood near the side, eyes calm, alert. Mindy checked her weapon, relaxed but ready.
~~~
The Whitebeard Pirates were celebrating.
Laughter echoed across the deck. Pirates slapped each other on the back, cheering loudly. They surrounded Diana, praising her, shouting about how she faced Akainu, how Ace was alive because of her.
Diana laughed and smiled along with them, the tracker resting in her hand.
Whitebeard laughed along with them, his deep voice rolling across the deck like thunder, easy and unrestrained. The sound carried over the sea, mixing with the cheers of his crew and the crash of waves against the hull.
Then he stopped.
The laughter cut off mid-breath.
His smile faded, the lines around his eyes tightening as something unseen caught his attention. He lifted his head, gaze shifting upward.
The pirates noticed.
One by one, the cheers began to die. Voices trailed off. Conversations ended halfway through sentences. Cups were lowered. Laughter gave way to uneasy quiet as they followed Whitebeard's line of sight.
Heads turned skyward.
A shadow slid across the deck, long and slow, swallowing the warmth of the sun. The sails darkened. The air seemed heavier.
The flying vehicle descended toward the ship, engines humming low and steady as it moved with deliberate calm.
No one spoke.
Silence fell.
The celebration was over.
~~~
We already have the Seventh Member 👀
~~~
If you're enjoying the story, want to read more, and want to support me in creating more, you can check out my Patreon here:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support means a lot and helps me keep writing!